A Nation wide Quit India Campaign against Coke and Pepsi

On 15^th of Jan., 2005 the community at Plachimada celebrated 1000 days of resistance against Coca-Cola. For the past year the Coke plant at Plachimada has been closed because of the determined resistance of Advasi women who started anti Coke agitation and the Perumatty Panchayat (Local Government) served notice to the company and went to the High Court.

The High Court of Kerala ruled that Coka-cola mining of Ground water was illegal. Ground Water does not belong to Coke or the Government. It belongs to local community and government is merely a trusty of water as a community resource. The government’s duty wound to prevent corporation like Coke from mining Ground water.

Coke-Pepsi are also violating our right to health. The report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee following the disclosure of pesticides in soft drinks by the Centre for Science and Environment, as well as recent studies published in a large number of medical journals have clearly indicated that soft drink manufacturers have been using significant quantities of very harmful and toxic chemicals in their drinks in order to make them more attractive and addictive. They have been clearly pushing their sales and profits at the cost of public health. The sustained attempt by the Coke-Pepsi companies to refuse to disclose the contents and ingredients of their drinks, is clear Coke-Pepsi are refusing to abide by the order of the Rajasthan High Court ordering Coke-Pepsi to disclose the contents of their drinks (including pesticides) on Coke-Pepsi labels, and instead resorting to endless review petitions and appeals. In fact the requirement to disclose the ingredients of all packaged food items on their labels has been there in the Prevention of Food Adulteration rules for a long time. The fact that it has not been enforced against you shows how Coke-Pepsi subvert and undermine our national laws.

It is now known that most soft drinks contain an extremely toxic brew of chemicals which are now known to be very harmful to human health. Apart from pesticides, the chemicals which are deliberately added include large quantities of phosphoric Acid (added to give them ‘bite’), caffeine (added to make them addictive), large quantities of sugar (to make it extra sweet), ethylene glycol (an extremely toxic anti freeze compound added to allow them to be drunk ‘extra chilled’ at sub zero temperatures) and Carbon Dioxide.                          

The response of the soft drinks companies to all this is to employ every stratagem to frustrate any attempt to regulate you in any manner. Coke-Pepsi are not even willing to disclose the harmful chemicals that Coke-Pepsi use in their products. In these circumstances, the time has come to demand that Coke-Pepsi must close down operations and leave the country. The country cannot afford to mortgage our precious water resources and the health of our citizens to Coke-Pepsi super profits and greed. Coke and Pepsi continued crimes against the earth and the people of India compel us to ask the Cola Companies to “Quit India” The National day of action against Coke and Pepsi is being Co-organised by Research Foundation Science, Technology and Ecology and Azadi Bachao Andolan in partnership with self organised local movements at the following plants. According to local coordinators of the mentioned districts the number of participants in each action are:

Local communities everywhere will be joining hands in human chains to assert their fundamental right to water. People courts (Jan Panchayat) will be organised at each plant to serve notice to Cola giants who are stealing water and selling toxic drinks. Thousands of Schools and colleges are also declaring themselves Coke and Pepsi free zones where the toxic will not be sold and consumed. What is at stake the life and health of the Indian people. We are committed to defending our life and freedom. We are committed to a Coke-Pepsi free India.

For any further information, please contact :

Dr. Vandana Shiva / Mr. Gunjan Mishra (9871202269 – Mobile) Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (RFSTE) A-60, Hauz Khas, New Delhi – 110 016 Tel : 0091-11-26535422 / 26532561 / 26962989 / 26968077 Fax : 0091-11-26962589 / 26856795 Email : vshiva@vsnl.com

Dr. Banwari Lal Sharma Azadi Bachao Andolan Allahabad Tel : 0091-532-2641872